Think of the World
by Tuume
Summary: Sequel to Would You? To have the power of miracles, what would you give? Your honor? Your self respect? Your once chance for a hope of a better prize? The Council speaks of the possibilties...


**Think of the World**

Disclaimer: I don't own Utena or any of the characters therein. They are the property of their respective owners.

Thanks for reading. I enjoyed the feedback I got from Would You? and decided to do a follow up story. Please, enjoy and review.

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"The world is a shell..." Touga tipped back his glass and sipped. "If the chick cannot break the shell, it will die without ever being born. Our job is to break the shell, break the world."

Juri swirls her glass, then to the surprise of everyone in the council room, splashes the cup's contents onto Touga's face. As he sputters, Juri pours herself a second glass and takes a sip. Then she glares at him icily. "Enough."

All eyes are on her now. The panther has roared, and her call reverberates in the high ceilings of the chamber. Even Nanami had paused in her fussing over Touga to lend her ears.

Juri sweeps her gaze over the assembled. Her voice is taut, frustrated, disappointed. "How many times have we done this? How many times have we come here, in this room, speaking of eternity and miracles? Dreaming of freedom and power? Expressing desires for love? Or redemption?"

Too many to count. Too many to remember without the pain of remembrance itself.

"And how many times have we failed?"

It was with a wry, mirthless humor that Juri surmised that the carpeting or the high arches or fine cut glasses must have been so much more meaningful than their situation.

Nanami wailed. "It's all Tenjou's fault! If she would just mind her own business then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now!"

"That's not true!" Miki slammed his hands on the table, then retreated when his elders turned their amused brows on him. "It's not her..."

"Really?" Nanami sneered. "Then she hasn't stormed the city, taken the Rose Bride and kept her from us? She hasn't humiliated us in front of everybody?!" Her voice was a siren now, shrill and deafening. "She hasn't taken away our only chance of bring some small shred of happiness into our hell?!" Her face flushed and infuriated, Nanami snatches her own cup off the table, downs it, then sends it shattering onto the floor.

Between the awkward stares and Nanami's ragged breathing, Touga gently pushes her down into her seat. "What are you trying to say, Juri?"

The panther twirled her hair, a habit she picked up at some point after Utena had arrived at the city of Othori. Another piece of herself that she couldn't stand and needed to wipe away with eternity. "It's the same old song and dance. We duel, we lie, we hide, we take the Rose Bride, repeat; and not exactly in that order. Don't you see? The reason we can't get ahead is because we're too afraid to change. Tenjou is different. She's taken everything about this game, this whole city, and made it look like nothing. We, on the other hand, are stagnating." She tool a sip, twirling her hair further.

It hangs in the air, choking like smoke. Miki shifts in his seat. "What can we do?"

"We push Utena to the throne."

Nanami's eyebrow twitches are like the wings of an insect. "Akio will destroy us all." Nobody minded her.

"How will having Tenjou taking Akio's place affect any of us Juri?" Touga's gentleman facade was gone, replaced with realistic cynicism.

"She's changed everything Touga. If she reaches the deadline, takes the throne... Maybe she can change the way the miracles work. She could help us all." Her words flickered with doubt.

Miki pokes his cup. "But do you really believe that Juri? That she can go all the way?"

A sip."She could."

A snort from Nanami. "And what if she fails?"

Juri licked wine stained lips. "Pray to God, perhaps?"

The blonde waves her hand dismissively. "Dios is long gone. You know that."

Juri pushes back from the table. "I'll challenge her tomorrow. If I lose, one of you take up the sword against her. "

"I thought you said it was in our best interest to let Utena have the throne," questioned Miki.

Juri replied, "I said we should push her to it, not carry her."

Touga nodded. "Then it's agreed. Tenjou is the key to miracles, and we are the hand that guides her into the lock."

Nanami spun to the other conspirators. "And what if she doesn't want the throne, hmm? What are we going to do if we drive her to Akio only to have her back out and steal the Rose Bride away somewhere?"

"She won't do that Nanami," said Juri. She swept a hand through her plentiful curls. "She's too much of a Prince not too go against Akio. And besides," a grin set on her face, "who is so firm that they cannot be seduced?"

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Touga laughed.

This time Juri threw the cup at his face as well.

As you can see, the Othori council is as cunning and manipulative as it was in the series. I hope I captured that. Please review.


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